Sharing bonds

[Estelle]

It had been some time since they last spoke. She hadn’t laid her eyes on Miss Grandmama and shared a personal few words since gaining the status of warrior and enforcer, not counting the enforcer meeting. And truthfully, she missed her. Sleepysunrise was well accustomed to missing her mama for lengthy periods on end, much as it broke her heart, though it was minutely different with her grandmother; spending time training at the feline’s side, observing and analysing her every move and tactic, having spent time sharing a den with whom she admired as much – she wanted to see her Miss Grandmama again.

And now, too, something seemed to be changing about Miss Grandmama. She had been growing visibly rounder (not that she would say as much, Sleepysunrise seemed to be blind to the cause), and her mood appeared awfully sour. Perhaps it was the time she had spent with Bleedingpaw and Birdpaw rubbing off on her, but a part of her wanted to see her grandmother in a better mood… However better it could get. And much like with mama, you gained little of her time if you didn’t seek her out first. So, that is what Sleepysunrise opted to do today.

She had walked on quiet paws to the den Miss Grandmama called her home, peering into the dimly lit light, rather certain her grandmother was inside based on the few wayward sounds she thought to hear from inside – but no seeming meeting going on.
“Miss Grandmama. May I enter?”
She spoke, awaiting her necessary permission before ducking her head and entering the den, greeting Dawnstar with a light nod as she stood to face her. She knew Miss Grandmama ought to not appreciate any dilly dallying, and yet Sleepysunrise was left with a stark lack a words.

“...How have you been?”
She began, first and foremost, reminiscent of the manners she held to such importance. Asking how she was doing; watching her grandmother with a trained eye, noting the evident changes in her appearance and lingering on her own words for a few moments.
“I wanted… To see you. I missed you.”
The very words surprised Sleepysunrise coming from her own mouth, not expecting such honesty in the wake of her… Unceremonious passing out upon gaining her name, a memory that still left a bitter taste.

“I thought… If you had time. We could play that game.”
The memory replayed in her mind, wanting to play her first game with Miss Grandmama, the leader having indulged the idea when she was a kit – would she still now?
“Nightshiver told me of one. One cat hides, the other seeks them; by scent only.”
Perhaps that would be a decent change of pace; a practice for her own tracking skills all the while enjoying time with Miss Grandmama, lest should the leader prefer a different activity – Sleepysunrise, by all means, was not difficult in that regard.


[ @Undertaker - Couldn't quite figure it out between a private or public thread, but considering my track record, I figured this would be less difficult for me to accidentally lose ]

[Undertaker]

@Estelle - Sleepysunrise [You're like me, I fail at keeping track of public threads worse than private and I'm not great at the latter to begin with. ]
She was a bit restless today but didn't feel like going out and being bugged by her clanmates, and hunting was out of the options considering her belly. She could go on a walk, but every time she did that she always ran into those outsiders either wanting to join or wasting her time. So today she spent time messing with the few trinkets in her den. Dawnstar has debated this for a while, but she should return to the old camp and collect at least the bones in her old den.

She had a nice collection of those and was not accustomed to having such a large den so bare. Her prior thoughts were disturbed by the voice outside of the lichen-covered entrance. Dawnstar's found that all her grandkids had different ways of calling her. Sleepysunrise was usually the longest and seemingly most respectful.

"Enter, granddaughter," Dawnstar replied turning away from the wall she had been facing. It's been a while since she's spent time with this one. Considering how much they spent during her apprenticeship, it was difficult to ignore how the new rank and responsibility drew them apart. But Dawnstar got used to having an empty den after a time.

The she-cat's usual irritability was ever present even in front of Sleepysunrise, among the few she-cats who served as the pride of Dawnstar's family, but it was mute immensely. Her tattered ears flickered at the mundane question, she'd probably never get used to that.

"Exhausted and testy, so the usual. I'm assuming you've been well?" She replied with a soft sigh. It was a chore not to snap at Sleepysunrise for no reason. Still, she was doing her best. She noticed her former apprentice's long stare and cocked her head slightly to the right. It took her a few seconds for Dawnstar to figure Sleepysunrise probably had no idea the leader was pregnant. If Dawnstar did not pick up on the slight change in pregnant cats' scents she'd be uncertain too.

The next exchange left her weirdly pleased. She had never heard in her life that someone missed her. It left her unexpectedly warm inside, which she assumed had to do with obtaining some resemblance to an actual family, the one thing Dawnstar selfishly coveted, even if she wasn't the best at reciprocating her feelings in words. She did get up to butt her head against Sleepysunrise's cheek.

"A game," She questioned after drawing back. It took a little searching in her memory to draw up that promise made some moons back. Dawnstar wasn't sure if she'd be up to playing with Sleepysunrise for too long. She often found herself getting winded faster than normal, which she was certain had to do with the freeloaders in her stomach eating up all her energy.

"Sure, I play at least one round with you. You'll have to do the hiding, I'll seek." Dawnstar told her. As she could barely hunt due to the extra weight, she figured her stealth had taken a blow due to her round belly too. The untrained cats she could get past, but most ShadowClan and their night vision would spot or hear her too easily.